Texas Jailhouse Chili

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Dear Readers:

In honor of Cinco de Mayo (The Editor's birthday), I have decided to get serious for once and post my recipe for Texas Jailhouse Chili. This seems particularly fitting in view of The Morning After The Night Before, my own personal experience with TJC.

I got the basic recipe for TJC from my Mom who, growing up in the West Texas towns of Shamrock and Midland, later in Fort Worth, graduated from Texas Wesleyan College (TWC) and moved to Tulsa to marry my Dad.

As is so often the case, she got the recipe from HER Mom.

I have modified this recipe over many years, but one thing hasn't changed, that being to use NO tomato product. Now don't get me wrong. I love tomatoes (I grow Camparis), but when cooking, the intense flavor of tomatoes can be overpowering. Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes not. This is one of the times when it's not.

You would be amazed at the difference between chili with vs chili without tomatoes. .They are two totally different animals.

That being said, for your culinary enjoyment, here is my recipe for...

Texas Jailhouse Chili

(medium hot version)

1 1/2 lb good ground beef
I like lots. I grind it at home using my Kitchen Center. Sometimes I use the coarse grinder for thick chili style ground beef.  You don't have to though.
1 T bacon drippings

Every good Southern cook has a little coffee can filled with bacon drippings somewhere under the counter.  I thinks it's the law. 
1/2 lb good ground sausage - Not the $1.49/lb kind 

1 medium onion

Chopped. The original recipe says no onions, but I like onions so much that here, I had to draw the line. I use 1 large purple onion instead of 1 medium white onion.

2 cloves minced fresh garlic
I use 4 to 6 cloves which gives me a very private social life. Pre-minced garlic works too... 4 to 6 iced-teaspoonsful.
2 heaping T chili powder

Yes, 2 tablespoons. I use 1/2 T of 4 different kinds, each a different color and strength but you don't have to go that far - one kind will do more than nicely.
1 heaping T cumin

As far as that goes, all my measures are heaping since I like things nice and spicy. The original recipe calls for 1 t cumin but once when I'd downed a couple of brewskis beforehand, I sort of misread the teaspoon to be a tablespoon! I'm still alive. I guess it worked out OK. 
1 t paprika - 1 T is even better unless it's hot Hungarian paprika. 

1/8 t white pepper - Use more and you'll be sorry
1/8 t ground coriander - Coriander is another name for cilantro.
Some people are allergic to cilantro, so always be sure to ask before you use it.  According to Wikipedia, cilantro may be used for both relief of anxiety and prevention of insomnia. I really couldn't say for sure, but if true it could go a long way towards explaining siesta time in Old Méjico.  Wikipedia also says that cilantro has been used to prevent gas. Believe me, this is not the case if used in T.J.C., which easily produces enough gas to float Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and their hot air balloon not only across the English Channel, but well into continental Europe.
seasoned salt  - To taste. I use about 1 t depending on my mood.
msg (optional)

After reading a ton of bad press about msg I don't use it at all now.

coarse ground black pepper  - To taste
1 C water
OR
1 cuppa old (this morning's) coffee - Honest Injun 
This comes from a world spaghetti sauce contest winning recipe. 

1 capful red cooking wine (optional) - Why not? 

3 beef bullion cubes - 
Dissolve in the microwave w/the 1 C water (or coffee) and wine. 
1 regular can chili beans - Pintos 
1 regular can dark red kidney beans - 
I like lots of beans but REAL chili does not have any beans at all. 
1 regular can lite red kidney beans - 
3 colors of beans looks good... tastes even better. 
2 T cornstarch (optional) - 
Made into paste so it won't clump (use if the chili is a little watery from bean juice or if you like it extra thick). 

To Prepare...

Brown the ground beef, sausage, seasoned salt, and black pepper in the bacon drippings. 
The reason you have to use any bacon drippings at all is because you used good lean ground beef, right? I know, I know... adding bacon drippings sounds like it completely defeats the purpose of using lean meat, but drippings are part of the recipe. 

Beware! If you omit the bacon drippings, it is at your peril. Don't come cryin' to me when your TJC doesn't turn out quite right.
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Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is semi-clear.
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Put the water (or coffee), cooking wine, and bullion cubes in the microwave for a minute or so.
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Add the seasonings first, then the water or coffee to the pot, stir, heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You have permission to taste after stirring, which could turn out to mean that you end up stirring a lot instead of only occasionally. No problemo... just be sure to leave enough for the dinner table.

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Add the 3 cans of beans and cook 5 minutes more. If it is a little runny due to bean juice, that is a good thing because now you add the corn starch paste for a thickener.
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Good good... and it is even better the 2nd day, if it lasts that long!

VARIATION - Try TJC over spaghetti like Ike's Chili in Tulsa, OK. (menu item #3)

Made from scratch (almost) cornbread is the perfect compliment to Texas Jailhouse Chili.

Note: If you do decide to add tomato whatever, please do not tell The Editor as this recipe turns into Mexican spaghetti sauce which is in itself very good, but nowhere near as good as TJC.

If you just HAVE to have tomatoes, try the Tulsa Public Schools' age-old recipe for Brown Bean Chowder. .It's famous all over the country. .I lived for Brown Bean Chowder when I attended Lanier Elementary, Wilson Jr. High, and Will Rogers High School in Tulsa.

After graduating from high school, as an undergraduate at The University of Tulsa I missed Brown Bean Chowder so much that I once tried to sneak back into the cafeteria at Rogers to enjoy a couple of bowls or three of my favorite lunchtime treat.

But I was soon recognized and due to the ensuing commotion sent forthwith to the Principal's office, my head hanging in shame.

Rats!! .How embarrassing was that??

Here I was, winner of the John Phillip Sousa Award, Round-Up Conductor, Concertmaster and Officer of the Band, letterman in tennis... sent to the Principal's office like a common juvenile delinquent!

But, bless his heart anyway, seeing the miserable look on my face, Dr. Knight had pity on me, sent for the recipe for BBC, mimeographed a copy, and gave it to me personally so that I (actually, my Mom) could whomp up a potful my very own self... whenever I wanted.

I was soooo happy!! 

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